


Unfair Advantage

by unklarity



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Divergent, Gen, talon is gone AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 23:48:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17069519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unklarity/pseuds/unklarity
Summary: Ashe strikes a deal with a few ex-Talon operatives.





	Unfair Advantage

Even out here in the middle of nowhere, she hears the rumors. A coup within the ranks of Talon, they say. Their best agents defected and destroyed the organization from the inside. Some say the resulting explosion left no survivors, but Ashe knows better. After all, two of them are sitting across from her.

"So, what brings you to these parts, sugar?" She directs the question to the woman on the left, as her companion is still looking down, typing into a transparent keyboard.

"We came to give you a warning." Widowmaker replies, pushing her hair over one shoulder and looking Ashe in the eyes. Her hair is down, and it's definitely a good look for her - so are the civilian clothes, Ashe thinks to herself, although she does mourn the loss of cleavage from her usual catsuit.

Widowmaker must notice her gaze drifting down, and she slams her hand down on the table, inhaling sharply through her nose. "If you're done staring, I'll continue." Ashe laughs, tilting her head back up, and trying to look her most apologetic. "Sorry, darlin,'" she says, a hand on her chest. "Couldn't help it. Please, go on."

The sniper's top lip curls in what Ashe assumes is distaste, but she continues, taking a datapad from her companion and sliding it across the table. "As I'm sure you've heard, Talon is currently..." she pauses for a moment, as if looking for the word.

"Dead as a doornail?" Ashe interjects, trying to be helpful. Widowmaker rolls her eyes, but nods. "Yes, for lack of a better term. Everyone is gone but the four of us, and we are no longer 'Talon', so it's safe to say whatever partnership you had with them has been dissolved."

Ashe hums in acknowledgement. "So why a warning, then, if everyone's gone? You planning on taking over my territory, sugar? I'd like to see you try." She looks down at the datapad, scrolling through the information. It's an inventory list of weapons - a whole lot of them. There's lists of caches, safehouses, suppliers. It's almost as if-

"As amusing as that would be," Widowmaker interrupts her train of thought by yanking the datapad from her hands, the barest edge of a smirk on her face, "I don't exactly have time for fun. Everything that's there is yours if you want it. But you're going to have to get it yourself." She presses her fingers to the screen once, then twice, entering a passcode, and drops the device back into Ashe's hands. "The warning is unrelated. I know you have your information sources, so you must know that everyone else does as well. The dissolution of Talon has left a bit of a void, as it were, and I'm sure there will be a fight for their former territory. If I were you, I would move quickly."

"So why are you giving me this? Seems a bit suspicious to me, if I'm bein' honest." Ashe looks down again, seeing coordinates and passcodes on another screen. "Talon and I weren't exactly on the most friendly terms. It wasn't as much of a partnership as it was me tolerating their bullshit."

At that, Widowmaker smiles, a stark contrast to her normal deadly smirk, and leans back in her chair. "If you'll recall, I said we were no longer Talon. I don't care who gets this information, but I'm not stupid enough to think no one else knows about it. All I am saying, is that people will want what’s on that datapad, and you should watch your back."

She nudges Sombra, whose nose is now nearly touching another one of her screens; she looks up at Ashe with a mischievous grin. "Hey hermosa, how's life?" She doesn't give Ashe time to answer before she looks down again, typing as she speaks. "So I'm thinking you've probably got about two days before it all goes to hell. I can't guarantee anything's not compromised, but like Araña said, we'd rather you have it than any of Talon's actual allies."

Widowmaker nods, facing forward again and crossing her arms. Ashe closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And what do you want from me in return, darlin'? I ain't stupid enough to think you're doing me a favor for free." The sniper smirks again, but stays quiet for a moment, just watching her. Ashe doesn't look away; she feels that would be a concession, and she's not willing to concede.

"You're right, Elizabeth. All I ask is that you save something from those safehouses for me."

"And what's that?" Ashe asks, genuinely curious as to what could be so important.

"One of those files on that datapad contains information on a Talon scientist. If he’s in one of those safehouses, I want him alive. That's all I ask."

That’s certainly not what Ashe expected, but it’s not exactly a high price is it? She knows she can find out what’s so special about one scientist on her own, so she nods, holding out her hand. “That’s more than fair. You got yourself a deal, there, sugar.” Widowmaker shakes her hand gingerly, and Ashe is surprised by just how cold her skin is.

“Good. You can use the comm link on that datapad to contact me if you find him. Oh, and one more thing.”

“What?”

The sniper smiles once more, but this one is as terrifying as it is beautiful. “I do want him alive, but as long as he can talk, I don’t mind what else you do to him.” She takes a knife from the holster on her thigh and places it on the table. “I trust you can be creative if the situation calls for it. He deserves much worse than whatever you can think of.”

Ashe smiles in return. “You got it, sweetheart. I’ll be seeing you.”

Widowmaker stands, flipping her hair back over her shoulder again, and waits for Sombra to open a translocator before stepping inside. “Au revoir,” she says, and in an instant, Ashe is alone in the room. She picks up the knife, twirling it around her fingers with one hand as she leisurely scrolls through the documents with the other. 

This could get interesting.


End file.
